Multiple ham press



A. D. CURTIS MULTIPLE HAM PRESS Nov. 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1964 INVENTOR. flaw/w 0. ("z/P 776 BY ATTORNEY A. D. CURTIS MULTIPLE HAM PRESS Nov. 3, 1964 3,155,030

Filed Jan. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I3 INVENTOR.

Y aTgpl- 22 W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,155,030 MULTEPLE HAM PRES Adolph E). Curtis, Box 1394, Pueblo, Colo. Fiied Ian. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 340,095 Claims. (Ci. 1001%) This invention relates to a press device and more particularly to a ham press for use in meat packing houses for pressing and molding hams in the customary fiat-sided, approximate-oval, cross-sectional shape. Present ham presses for this use usually comprise two perforated metal plates which are drawn together against each side of an individual ham by means of four tension springs connected between the plates.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a multiple ham press in which a plurality of hams can be simultaneously pressed while being processed and which will eliminate the labor now necessary in placing the hams in individual presses and connecting the present tension springs.

A further object is to provide a ham press device which will be adaptable to present smoke house trees without change, and which will comprise, in a single unit, a plurality of super-imposed perforate shelves, each shelf being designed to contain a plurality of horizontally adjacent hams, all of which will be simultaneously subjected to continuous compression independently of the hams, if any, on the other shelves of the press device.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simpiicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more ap parent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved unitary, multiple press device showing the same partially filled with hams;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-section therethrough, taken on the lines 22, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmental longitudinal section taken on the line 44, FIG. 2.

The improved press device is supported from two vertical rod hangers terminating at the upper extremities in eyes 13 by means of which they may be attached to and suspended from the conventional carriage of an overhead smoke house conveyor.

The rod hangers 12 are welded, as indicated at 14 in FIG. 4, to the ends of, and fixedly support, a plurality of vertically-spaced, elongated, rectangular, horizontal, open spring frames 15 which act to maintain the rod hangers in fixed vertical spaced relation.

A perforated, rectangular, metallic shelf tray 16 rests upon and is supported by each spring frame 15. Each shelf tray is welded or otherwise afiixed below a peripheral rod frame 17 which completely surround the shelf tray. The rod frames 17 are medially-indented at each extremity, as shown at 18, so as to engage and fit about the rod hangers 12 to maintain the shelf trays in vertical, parallel position over their respective spring frames 15. v

A removable, perforated, rectangular, metallic pressure plate 19 having a width similar to the shelf trays 16 and a length slightly less than the latter, is positioned over each shelf tray. The pressure plates 19 are similarly bordered by a bordering rod frame 213, which is welded above the entire periphery of the pressure plates, and each is provided with two transversally extending 3,155,039 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 track rods 21 welded to and extending between the front and back portions of the rod frame parallel to and equally spaced between the ends of the latter.

A plurality of leaf springs 22 are hooked over and secured at their upper extremities to the sides of the spring frames 15 by means of suitable attachment bolts 23 and extend downwardly and'outwardly therefrom. As illustrated, there are four of the leaf springs 22 at each side of each spring frame. The four springs at each side contact, at their lower extremities, the ends of the rod frame 29 and the track rods 21 of the pressure tray 20 immediately therebelow.

Thus, if a pressure tray 1% be forced upwardly all of the springs in contact therewith will be flexed outwardly, their lower extremities sliding outwardly on the ends of the rod frame and the track rods of the pressure tray therebelow to exert a resilient resistance to the upward movement. It is preferred to stamp a longitudinallyextending groove, as indicated at 25, in the lower extremity of each spring 22 to retain it in position on the rod frame and track rods of the pressure frame 19 therebelow.

The hams, indicated at 24, are placed in position on the shelf trays by manually lifting one side of the pressure plates 19 and sliding a row of hams thereunder, then lifting the other side of the pressure plates and placing a second row of hams thereunder. When released, the pressure plates assume a substantially horizontal position over the plurality of hams and are resiliently forced downwardly thereon by the inherent elasticity of the pinrality of leaf springs 22 during the smoking and coo-king process. After processing, the hams can be quickly removed from the press by simply alternately lifting the sides of the pressure plates 19.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A ham press for applying pressure to a plurality of hams comprising: two spaced-apart, vertical hanger members; a plurality of rectangular horizontal spring frames secured to and extending between said hanger members in vertically spaced relation; perforated shelf trays resting upon said spring frames for receiving and supporting a plurality of hams thereon; a perforated pressure plate positioned over each shelf tray and adapted to rest upon the hams carried by the latter; and spring means carried by said spring frames and exerting a downward pressure on the pressure plate positioned therebelow.

2. A harn press as described in claim 1 in which the spring means comprises: a plurality of resilient leaf springs secured in spaced relation at their upper extremities to said spring frames and extending downwardly and arcuately therefrom and contacting said pressure plate at their lower extremities.

3. A ham press as described in claim 2 in which the leaf springs are secured along both side edges of said spring frames in transverse alignment so as to flex laterally of said pressure plates.

4. A ham press as described in claim 3 having transversely extending track rods on each pressure plate along which the lower extremities of the leaf springs slide when said pressure plates move vertically.

5. A multiple press device comprising: a first substantially horizontal spring frame; a second substantially horizontal spring frame; a substantially horizontal perforate tray positioned below each of said spring frames 3,155,030 3 4 for receiving a plurality of articles to be pressed; means References Cited by the Examiner maintaining said spring frames and said trays in vertical UNITED STATES PATENTS spaced relation; a pressure plate positioned between each of said spring frames and said trays; and a plurality of 2,059,938 11/36 Farber 1OO 265 leaf springs secured to said spring frames at theirupper 5 2,310,956 2/43 HOV 99 351 extremities and flexed by contact with said pressure plates 2310195 7 2/43 99351 at their lower extremities, said spring frames comprising FOREIGN PATENTS elongated, rectangular open frames having two relatively long sides and two relatively short ends, saidv leaf springs 1/31 Great Bntam' being secured in uniformly spaced relation to the two 10 WALTER SCHEEL Primary Examiner long sides so as to extend flexibly downward therefrom. 

1. A HAM PRESS FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO A PLURALITY OF HAMS COMPRISING: TWO SPACED-APART, VERTICAL HANGER MEMBERS; A PLURALITY OF RECTANGULAR HORIZONTAL SPRING FRAMES SECURED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID HANGER MEMBERS IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION; PERFORATED SHELF TRAYS RESTING UPON SAID SPRING FRAMES FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF HAMS THEREON; A PERFORATED PRESSURE PLATE POSITIONED OVER EACH SHELF TRAY AND ADAPTED TO REST UPON THE HAMS CARRIED BY THE LATTER; AND SPRING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SPRING FRAMES AND EXERTING A DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON THE PRESSURE PLATE POSITIONED THEREBELOW. 